Boy in Luv Read online

  Her hands were shaking so bad, I had to take the keys from her and open the door. She tripped over nothing when she followed me into the apartment, her expression slightly dazed and bewildered. It was clear she thought I was going to run. She believed I was going to take the out she so conveniently provided. I still had a long way to go to show her just how serious I was about her…about us.

  Her apartment was swanky and far more elegantly decorated than mine. Everything matched and was obviously high-end. It was all very Langley, down to the family photos scattered about. There were several of her with her parents when she was younger. Many of just her and her dad, and lots of a woman whom I guessed was her mother. There was a picture of her sandwiched between her father and another man, both dressed in formal military regalia. I knew her old man served when he was my age, but I was taken aback when I recognized the other guy in the picture as the general in command of my current base.

  Distracted, I wasn’t ready for Langley to take charge of the situation, and went easily as she jerked me into her bedroom. The space was as fancy and feminine as the rest of the apartment. It also smelled flowery and sweet, a scent I associated with her. Her bed looked pillowy and soft. I couldn’t wait to make a mess if it…and her.

  Langley hit a switch, and low light filtered through the room. I turned to face her, so I could tell her everything would be okay, and was taken completely off guard when her palms suddenly hit the center of my chest as she used my surprise to push me backward onto the bed.

  I let out a little grunt as her hands hurriedly slid under the hem of my shirt and worked the fabric up my torso and over my head. My abs tensed involuntarily when she climbed on top of me, knees on either side of my hips as her quick fingers went to work on my belt and the fastening of my jeans. We’d been here before, her hands on me, mine on her. But something about this felt different. Felt new and exciting. There wasn’t anything between us this time. No secrets. No lies. No subterfuge and no looming shadows of money and desperation. This time, we were honest about how we felt and the challenges us deciding to be together were going to present going forward. We weren’t afraid of the future, but we were both aware if we wanted one together, we were going to have to work for it.

  “Lift.” Her eyebrows winged up as she tugged on my belt loops.

  I kicked off my Chucks and complied with her sexy command. A moment later, I was sprawled naked on the bed beneath her as her fingertips trailed over the different images inked on my skin. She bent forward, her lips landing on the center of my chest as one of her palms skimmed over my ribs. I shifted under her, body responding visibly as the ends of her hair slid across my skin. Everywhere she touched felt like a small electric shock buzzed through me.

  “I remembered you like this when you were gone. You’re really pretty without your clothes on, Alvarez.” The tip of her tongue flicked over one of my nipples and I almost came up off the bed.

  I trapped her head between my hands, fingers tangling in her silky hair as her lips danced even lower. Her nose touched my stomach and muscles tensed and flexed. I felt her smile against my skin, and my cock throbbed and begged for attention where it was pressed against the round curve of her backside.

  “Same goes, Vaughn.” In fact, I would be thrilled if she started shedding clothing right now.

  All coherent thought fled when she wiggled her way down my body, lips and tongue dragging the length of my abs, and lower. Everything contracted and went taut at the contact. I let out a moan when the tip of my now rigid and damp cock brushed the inside of Langley’s thigh.

  The top of my head felt like it was going to blow off, and I was ready to crawl out of my skin when her hand suddenly wrapped around the base of my dick and squeezed. I swore and used my hold on her head to bring her face upward so she had to meet my gaze. The mischievous glint in her blue eyes let me know she was firmly aware of the fact that she currently had all the power. I was putty in her hands. I couldn’t stop her, not that any sane man would want to.

  The first sweep of her tongue across the pulsing tip of my cock brought my shoulders off the mattress. The second swirl made my hands curl around her head and mutter her name on a broken sound. When the wet heat of her mouth surrounded the first few inches, I might’ve blacked out for a moment because it had been so long, and it felt so good. More than all of that, because it was Langley, it felt better than it had any right to. The entire act was more intimate, more meaningful than it had ever been in the past. She wasn’t simply blowing my dick, but my mind, as well.

  Both my brain and my heart were involved in every little move she made, every touch, every taste. Considering I typically only responded with what was between my legs when it came to sex, being with her was on an entirely different level. She took me to heights I’d never reached before, and there was no way I was ever going back to boring and basic.

  She stroked her hand up the straining length that seemed to get harder and harder with each passing minute. She lowered her head at the same time, sucking in until her cheeks hollowed when they touched her fist. The dual stimulation felt so good, my hips lifted, blindly chasing the pressure and suction. Her tongue flicked against the leaking slit, causing my eyes to roll back in my head as my hands pulled at her hair, asking for more and begging for mercy.

  It took every ounce of self-control I had not to explode in her mouth when her tongue danced along the thick vein running along the underneath side of the unyielding flesh in her mouth. She was alarmingly talented with that mouth of hers. Even if I hadn’t already been willing to move mountains and slay dragons for her, I would be willing to do whatever she wanted after letting her take me apart with her lips and tongue.

  “Jesus, Langley.” I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to pull myself back from the brink. “I’m going to be done before we even get started.”

  She lifted her head and let go of my cock with a slick pop. It was sexy as hell, and the way she looked at that moment and the sounds would be seared in my mind forever.

  “Just trying to bring you up to speed, soldier. I was ready to jump you the minute you said you’d be here when I woke up.” She blinked at me, long lashes falling to cover her bright eyes. “I’ve been ready since the day you left. No one has ever made me feel the way you do, Iker. People tell me I’m pretty or beautiful all the time. Most of them want something. Most of them don’t even see me. You’re the only one who makes me feel beautiful. I like the way I look through your eyes.”

  “Jesus, woman.” I’d lost my vocabulary along with my restraint.

  Langley let out a yelp of surprise when I suddenly flipped us over. Once she was the one spread out on the designer bed set, I started peeling her out of her clothes. Once she was as naked as I was, I dropped to my knees by the side of the bed, tossed her toned and tanned legs over my shoulders, and put my mouth on her soft, sweet center. She was hot, and wet. She hadn’t been kidding when she said my assurance I was sticking around this time really did it for her.

  Her slick center quivered around my tongue and my name echoed off her bedroom walls. Immediately, her taste flooded my mouth and tingled across my tongue. The flavor was the same, and it made my dick twitch impatiently. When she started to whimper and squirm against my mouth, I pulled back after leaving a messy kiss on the inside of her smooth thigh. I needed to make sure she was as ready as she said she was, because there was no way I could handle her like she was fragile and breakable after being without her for so long. I flipped her around so she was on her hands and knees, facing away from me, and gruffly asked her to dig the lone condom out of my wallet. I grinned when she handed the foil packet over her shoulder without looking at me.

  “I swear, the next time I’ll go slow.” Maybe. She made me crazy and forget myself.

  Her hair slithered across her shoulders, and her back arched. Her eyes glinted like sapphires when she peeked at me over her shoulder.

  “As long as there is a next time, I don’t care if it’s fast or slow. I want it…w
ant you.”

  Well, fuck. I finally understood how a few words could turn her on and have her ready to go.

  I put my hands on the sexy curve of her hips and pulled her to the edge of the bed. She gasped and her head fell forward. Her body rocked back against mine as I leaned forward so I could kiss my way up the long, elegant line of her spine. I took my cock in my hand and lined myself up with her velvety soft, and thoroughly soaked, opening.

  Langley moved backward and met my first thrust. The room was instantly filled with quiet moans and the erotic sound of our bodies colliding. Her body clamped down on mine, the smooth, silken inner muscles squeezing and contracting around the solid length pushing deeper and throbbing in time to our heartbeats. Langley whispered my name and tossed her head back. My head dropped until my forehead rested between her shoulder blades. Her skin was slick with a light sheen of sweat, but she still smelled like a field of fresh flowers.

  My hips moved of their own accord, rocking faster, pushing harder, chasing after the pleasure that was ratcheting up with each passing minute. I heard Langley moan, and the sound had me swearing against her soft skin.

  I braced one hand on the bed beside her and snaked the other around to her front, fingers finding the pebbled point of her nipple. I rolled the velvety nub across my palm and traced across the goose bumps that lifted across her back with my tongue. She panted, her hips slipping out of rhythm as she mindlessly sought her own completion.

  Desire exploded in bursts of white light behind my eyelids as pleasure coiled tightly at the base of my spine. I felt my stomach tighten and my breath quickened as her body went liquid and pliable around mine. She whispered my name, and possibly that she loved me, but I was too far gone and lost in my own spiraling satisfaction to let her words sink in. I used the hold I had on her chest to pull her up so her back was pressed against my front. There was no space between us, no lies, no dirty deals. It was just me and her, how I wished it had been from the start. I would never take for granted how damn lucky I was this woman with the world at her feet had picked me.

  I buried my nose in her hair and let waves of absolute gratification pull me under. I could drown in a sea of bliss, but I had someone else to worry about, so I circled my hand around the base of Langley’s throat and tilted her head to the side so I could kiss the outer shell of her ear, grinning as her entire body shivered along mine in response.

  “You good?”

  She nodded, one of her hands lifting to cover mine. “Never been better.”

  I snorted out a small laugh and kissed her cheek. “Give me a few and I’ll prove you wrong.” I could make her feel even better when I wasn’t in such a rush to get inside of her.

  She sighed in contentment and rubbed her head against me like a cat. “You’re on.” Her fingers curled around mine and her voice lowered. “I don’t want to lose this again, Iker.”

  I tightened my arms around her, holding on like I would never let go. “Me either.”

  I never thought I would find this feeling, or someone I would want to wait for me… Someone I was willing to wait for.

  I didn’t know much about love, aside from the way I loved my family. But I knew with absolute certainty Langley was my first…love. My only love. She was the only one who made me believe I’d earned a shot at happiness. If there was anything worth fighting what seemed insurmountable odds to be together, it was that.

  Langley

  I threw my carry-on into the trunk of my car and shut the hatch. Three days in Austin property hunting had been exhausting. Not that there weren’t cute houses to choose from in Texas—all of which had air conditioning, that wasn’t up for debate—but I’d been preoccupied with thoughts of Iker, and what it would be like to live in those houses without him.

  Suddenly, those cute houses weren’t quite so appealing.

  Grumbling under my breath, I shot off a text to let the man constantly on my mind know I was back.

  Langley: Just landed and headed home. Come over for dinner?

  I slid behind the wheel of my car, swearing at the heat of the sun-scorched seats.

  My phone buzzed with his reply before I could even get the car in gear.

  Iker: I’ll be over after work. Missed you.

  A smile tugged at my lips. The clock read three, which meant I only had a few hours before I could see him.

  Langley: Perfect. Come whenever you can. Missed you, too.

  How often in the next—God only knew how long—would we say we missed each other in texts? Was it possible to keep a relationship alive that way? Through texts and phone calls and weekend visits when we could manage it?

  Of course, it was possible. People did it all the time. But how long could Iker and I stay happy that way?

  I turned up the music to drown out those depressing thoughts. Right now, I was here, and I had Iker, and that was all I could let matter.

  My phone rang, and I hit the answer button on my steering wheel when I saw it was my realtor in Texas.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “Hi, Langley! I just wanted to let you know that I drafted offers on all three of those houses you had listed as your top choices, just like you asked.”

  “Perfect, thank you.”

  “I know you said you wanted a minute to think about which was your favorite, but I just wanted to remind you that the market is—”

  “Hot right now,” I interrupted. “I know. Those houses might get offers before I make my mind up, I know. I’m still going to need some time to think about it.” More like, I needed some time to come to grips with the fact I’d be living eight-hundred-and-fifty miles away from the man I was falling for all over again.

  “You’re absolutely right!” Her reply was annoyingly chipper. “So, once you make your choice, just electronically sign the corresponding offer, and we’ll be on our way!”

  “Sounds great. Look, I just pulled into my apartment building, so I’ll let you know when I decide, okay?”

  “Perfect!”

  I pulled into my numbered spot as we said our farewells and hung up. Five minutes later, I walked into my apartment with that sigh of relief that always escaped when I got home from traveling. Not that I hadn’t loved growing up trotting the globe, but call me Dorothy, there was no place like home.

  “Look, you’re alive!” I said to my fern, noting that Iker had watered it just like he said he would. It was oddly reassuring that the guy could keep houseplants alive.

  I started the shower to warm up the water, then dropped my clothes into the hamper in my room. I’d handle my suitcase later. Showering off the travel-time was an immediate necessity.

  My phone buzzed as I walked into the bathroom.

  Iker: Got done early. Want some company?

  Langley: Hell yes, I do. I’m jumping in the shower, so use your key if I don’t answer.

  Without waiting for his response, I tossed my phone onto the counter and stepped under the steaming jets. I groaned in pleasure as the hot water hit my skin, then warmed my aching muscles. I wasn’t addicted to much in my life, but long, hot showers were definitely my vice.

  This shower was a major reason I’d rented the apartment. It was roomy, with glass walls, multiple showerheads, and a bench perfect for shaving my legs. No one liked the balancing act of one-foot-on-the-wall. By the time I’d shampooed and conditioned my hair, shaved my legs, and soaped up, my muscles were thoroughly relaxed.

  “Langley?” Iker’s voice came from the hall.

  “In the shower!” I answered, then let my head fall back under the water to rinse the conditioner out. Damn, I’d meant to at least be in the getting-dressed phase of my post-travel routine. I didn’t want to waste a single moment with Iker. “I’ll be out in a second!”

  “Why? I’d much rather join you.”

  My eyes flew open to see Iker casually leaned against my bathroom doorframe, and holy shit, if I wasn’t already dripping wet from the shower, I would have been just from looking at him. Iker was in uniform. />
  Actual. Uniform.

  I’d never been a tag-chaser. Quite the opposite, really. Guys in the military didn’t do it for me, but Iker in those Multicams definitely did it for me. My breath caught and my skin flushed from more than the water.

  We locked eyes, and his smirk faded into something so intense, I physically felt my body soften in preparation.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Hmmm!” I responded, already planning my assault.

  “To joining you?” he reminded me.

  I nodded. He might be no-holds-barred in the bedroom, but he always made sure I was on board. It was something that cranked his sex appeal to level: Yes, please.

  He made quick work of his boots, then shed his top with a rip of Velcro, never once breaking eye contact. A dull ache began between my thighs, and I cupped my breasts when they started to feel heavier.

  “Do not start without me,” he warned, working his belt free and dropping his camo pants.

  “Then hurry,” I demanded, noting with satisfaction that his eyes narrowed as I swept my thumbs over my pebbled nipples.

  His t-shirt was next, followed by his underwear and socks, until he wore nothing but yards of inked, velvet skin. Three strides and he had the shower door open, then shut. Another step and his hands were in my hair and his mouth was on mine.

  Welcome home.

  His tongue swept in to dance with mine, and I groaned at the taste of those cool peppermints he loved against the heat of my mouth. My fingertips trailed up his sides and then down to his hips as he tilted my face to kiss me deeper. He was hard and ready against my stomach, his hips bucking when I brought my hand between us to run my thumb across his tip.

  “Langley,” he groaned, pressing his hand against the small of my back to bring us skin to skin from lip to thigh.

  “I missed you,” I admitted against his mouth.